Frolic in the garden before the storm

The paella was a bit brown on the bottom but not terribly burnt. You turn off the stove and compose yourself, trying to ignore what just happened between you and Mona. Mona comes over and takes a spoon and taste a few clumps of rice and says “It’s good. They are going to love this, honey.”

You roll your eyes and both you and Mona go to get changed into your evening wear. After getting dressed, you go back into the kitchen and carry the large pan of paella towards the dining room and the long table and place it at the center. Mona was right behind you carrying a large bowl of fennel salad and some bread and olive oil.

Things race in your mind as you thought about the kiss you shared with Mona. The two of you went on as if nothing happened and proceed with the rest of the preparations for dinner. Fear was in your mind that Mona would use it against you to hamper things between your relationships with Paige and Jenna, but somehow it faded. There was an uneasiness you always felt around Mona when you first met her, an alert that a prey sometimes has against a predator. That feeling faded. You couldn’t exactly explain it, but you trust her. Maybe she was playing you and playing a very long game, but the AMA did back your feelings that Mona was not only your friend now but also a growing love interest.

A more profound fear emerged that you would have to juggle yet another woman in your life. There were already so many problems with just two women, but a third? After you save Jenna and Paige somehow, you will unlock the third spot in the Relationship Party menu, and it will give you an option to bring in Mona. You couldn’t believe that you were even considering it. Mona aside(who just a couple of days ago you thought was a wretched woman), the morality of shifting between three women still irks you.

“Looks great honey,” Mona remarks as you light up the remaining candles. She stands next to you and kisses your cheek.

“Let’s not play pretend in front of our guest, okay?” You say, placing some dinnerwear on the table.

“Aww… you’re worried about your mistresses’ feelings?” Mona asks, placing cutlery on the table alongside you.

“Psh. If anything, you are the mistress.”

“Matty… I might have come in last, but you know what they say about things that are last...” Mona's long lashes flicker at you and she runs her hands through your hair.

“Yeah… they generally don’t win races.”

Mona looks into your eyes with great intensity and says, “Paige and Jenna may have got a head start... but I’m not going to lose to them. By the end of this, I’ll make you love me.”

She sounds she meant it. Before you could respond, you see a camera crew back into the grand dining hall of the manor and several people in formal wear enter. The other islanders have arrived at your dinner party. Jenna was wearing a strapless red dress with long earrings while Paige was wearing a lacey blue dress that revealed one of her long porcelain legs.

“Welcome,” Mona says, and the crowd of people gather around the table and pick their seats. You and Mona sit on opposite ends of the long table.

Paige sits next to Tom near Mona, and Jenna sits next to you with Mike and Rachel. Paige seems to be avoiding making eye contact with you, but every so often, you would catch Paige trying to see if you were looking at her.

“Paella? Where’s the fucking meat bro?” Mike asks.

“Mona’s a vegan, Mike,” Jenna says.

“Ah, man. You could have bought some steaks to have on the side or something,” Mike says.

“How did things go with you and Mona?” Jenna whispers.

“Good,” You answer, taking a piece of crusty bread and dipping it in olive oil sprinkled with some salt and dried herbs. You felt bad for leaving out the part where Mona kissed you. Or you kissed her. Guess you were that type of person now. This wasn’t really a great place to say that to Jenna though, especially in front of Mike and Rachel.

“I bet it did. That girl is such a huge flirt,” Rachel says.

Mike looks a bit uncomfortable with that observation from Rachel.

“She’s just that way,” Mike explains. “You know fun.”

“Fun? More like easy,” Rachel says, and both you and Jenna looks down and away. Like a married couple who are watching another married couple fighting and sort of leaving them to it.

“Rachel, we talked about this. I’m just getting to know her. You can’t be all possessive over me like that. It’s not cool," Mike says, he looks frustrated.

“Whatever. Like I get it. It’s Island Amour, you are supposed to play the game and flirt around, but Mona could at least talk to me before opening her legs to you. Girl code. Right, Jenna?”

Jenna frowns and doesn’t say anything.

“What about you then?” Mike says. “You’ve been talking to Tom a lot lately.”

“What about that? Tom isn’t taken, and if you’re going to flirt with other people, maybe I should too?” Rachel says. Both Mike and Rachel stare at their food and there is tension in the air that you can cut with the very butter knife you were using.

The mood got awkward, and the rest of the meal was spent in silence while Paige obnoxiously shouts flirtations at Tom at the other side of the table. Great.

You check Tom’s status sheet under relationship, and it shows:

Interest in Mona: 70

Interest in Paige: 55

Interest in Rachel: 40

Interest in Jenna: 20

Rachel must have been doing some serious flirting with Tom recently. Though if recoupling were held soon, Mona would still win out. Jenna senses your frustration and you can feel her hand reach under the table for your unused one and she held it and massaged it with hers.

After dessert, you go out to the courtyard of the manor and try to catch up with Paige. Paige and Tom were in the middle of a conversation, you check her status page and notice no change in her interest towards you or Tom. What should you do? You didn’t want to appear **** enough to butt yourself in. Also… a part of you, the one that was playing the game, thought that this might be good. At least for a while. If Tom were to pick Paige at the next recoupling, you could pair up with Jenna, and both would be saved. Paige wasn’t outright manipulating Tom in efforts to get him to save her but just using him to get to make you jealous. That’s what you thought, at least.

As if someone answered your prayers, Mona walks past you and barges in between Paige and Tom. Tom’s eyes brighten when he sees Mona and Paige immediately scowls. The two, Mona and Tom, bid goodbye to Paige and go off somewhere to talk privately. After Paige was left alone, you make your way towards her and stand beside her. She is hanging on a rail that overlooks some gardens with wall-like green bushes staring dreamily at the night sky.

Would you like a helping hand? Helping Hand Unlock for 5 points

Blind the Eye – Camera crews will not follow you for a short while giving you privacy with Paige

You unlock the helping hand and are left with 50 points.

“Paige, we need to talk,” You say.

There was no surprise in Paige's face as you stand beside her and speak.

“I like Jenna... I can see why you two would like each other,” Paige offers.

“Yeah. I can tell… I’m really sorry for putting you through that. I… It was thoughtless of me. There’s no excuse for it.”

Paige glances at you for a brief second to catch a glimpse of your face and says, “Do you love Jenna?”

“Eh… I think that’s a strong word,” You say.

“You liked her waaay before you liked me, didn’t you?” Paige asks.

“Way before? I don’t know about that. It feels like an eternity in here sometimes, but… you both kind of fell on me at the same time,” You say.

“I don’t want to play second to Jenna. She’s a great girl. If you like her then stay with her, but I’m not going to be some side thing you can have when you want.” Paige has a look of resignation as if she was expecting to be put down.

“You aren’t a side thing, Paige,” You explain.

“This upcoming coupling… who will you couple with? If it comes down to it and it’s just me and Jenna left, and that could very well happen. Who would you pick?” Paige asks, her eyes searching yours.

The easy thing would be to tell her that she, Paige, was your first choice. You didn’t want to lie to Paige, you care too much about her at this point.

Paige sees how troubled you are over the question and turns away regretfully.

This is the one moment in your life where you wouldn’t be unsure. That moment you want to hold her so you did. Paige melts in your arm as you approach her and hold her in your arms. You couldn't answer her question with a lie so you try saying a truth.

“Paige, I won’t leave you,” You say emphatically.

19:12 – Paige’s love and lust has increased by 10 – She misses your touch terribly

“Asshole....” Paige murmurs and beats your chest with her palms.

One thing went through your mind, you had to even the score. Like two long lost lovers finally reunited, Paige and you went into a torrent of kisses that evolves into you groping her breasts, and she slid her hands down your aching crotch. Frustration racking both your actions as you both remember so vividly your nights so long ago together as you stroke and caress each other.

19:14 – Paige’s lust has increased by 20 – She doesn't see any cameras on you two

Paige works her lips down the side of your neck, nuzzling it and feasting on your skin as you brought her body on top of yours, her legs wrapping around your back as you carry her to a side area behind the garden and covered by the rectangular-hedge bushes. You pin her down while her head reaches up to try to feasts on your lips and tongue and she spreads her legs open.

You were going to even the score. You had to even the score.

...

The worst thing probably happens at that point. Something that shouldn’t but given that this was a wild season, you should have expected it. Given everything that happened, you somehow knew it was going to disrupt this moment.

“AMANDA IS HERE!” bellows through the manor and outside courtyard.

Still hunching over Paige, who now has her senses back and looks as panic-stricken as felt, some productions assistant and producers were closing in on the two of you there in the garden, frolicking in the grass and behind some bushes.

“Paige? Matt? You guys round here?! It’s coupling time, we need you two to move it.” A voice of a production assistant calls out.

Paige straightens out her dress, her hair and adjusts her dress while you do the same with your pants and pick out some leaves in your clothes. Paige lets out a deep breath and walks out of the garden clearing first, and you follow watching her back.

You had a significant decision to make. No more hypotheticals. The time has come yet again.

A new notification pops up the same time Paige looks behind you and says sadly, “I won’t hate you if you pick Jenna. I just... want you to make your decision, so either of us can move on.”

At the same time:

New Mission – Pick Jenna at the recoupling

Objective 1 – Pick Jenna at the Recoupling

Hint: It’s the only way

Reward:

• Jenna and Paige will both be safe from elimination
• 10 Affection Points